


Piano Lessons from the Jungle

by keerawa



Series: Human Intelligence [1]
Category: BBC Sherlock
Genre: Community: watsons_woes, Gen, Soldiers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2014-07-05
Packaged: 2018-02-07 14:37:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1902738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keerawa/pseuds/keerawa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some things just don't fit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Piano Lessons from the Jungle

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [](http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/profile)[**watsons_woes**](http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/) JWP Picture Prompt #5: [Makes the Music Mute](http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/1072529.html). Unbeta'd.

I was a good boy, growing up. Did my homework, ate my vegetables, went to church, dated a nice girl. Then I went off to war and … it's different over there.

They say war is hell, and it is. Mines and IEDs, men gut-shot, kids blowing themselves up, snipers picking off anyone they can. Leading a patrol into a friendly local village, mid-summer, and the charnel house stench letting you know the Taliban are long-gone.

When you're in the middle of that, those rules you learnt as a boy don't make sense any more. They're about as useful as a piano in the middle of the jungle. Worse – the piano won't get you killed.

So I made my own rules. Became my own man. Did whatever I had to, to get myself and my men out alive. And it was hell, yes, but Christ, I knew I was alive.

Then one mistake, and they shipped me back to England. I tried, you know? I tried to fit myself back into that little box, but I couldn't. You can't.

I probably would have topped myself if a madman hadn't come along and made me a better offer.

_John put down the copy of Moran's signed confession and rubbed his eyes, wondering who he'd be now if he'd found himself a different madman._


End file.
